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Grapefruit tree problems

12 years ago

Grapefruit tree is starting to have problems. Grown from seed and it's about 2 years old. Seems to be getting some sort of blight on the branches but not really on the stem. Leaves are turning yellow in spots and others have just dried and fallen off. It got fairly dry a month or so ago but has been watered regularly since. I did fertilize it once since then because it was time but in hindsight this probably wasn't the best idea just a few weeks after it was dry. Here is a link for the pics.

http://frontrangephotography.zenfolio.com/p708101932

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Comments (8)

houstontexas123
12 years ago
the little brownish spots are some sort of bug.

i found some on my lemon, waiting for an id.

seems to be damaging your tree. once one of the other members can id it, they'll let you know how to get rid of them.
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houstontexas123
12 years ago
scale id
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ch195

scale treatment
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cg004

you tree looks to be an indoor tree. take it outside or in the bathtub and spray with one of the listed pesticides. can be found at most hardware/garden stores. just look for the active ingredient.
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Citrus like to be watered deeply, but infrequently, with the water soaking down to three feet. Soils that remain too moist can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, especially iron. This is because roots need oxygen in order to process the nutrients. Too much water essentially pushes the oxygen out of the soil. Lack of iron can cause yellowing leaves, with the midrib and veins remaining green in mild cases and the entire leaf turning yellow in more extreme cases. Iron deficiency occurs on the younger leaves. Lack of nitrogen can also cause yellowing leaves. The older leaves are affected first. If the soil is still moist when you check it, wait an additional day or two (or longer) before watering again. You may also want to add a layer of composted mulch in the basin of the tree. Take care not to pile it up against the trunk. The mulch will slow evaporation and keep the soil a bit cooler which will allow you to wait even longer in-between irrigations. Your slow release fertilizer is great. Don't add any more until you see signs of improvement. You could use 'chelated' iron, which is water soluble so plant roots can absorb it. I think by applying mulch and watering less frequently your tree will be fine. Using chelated iron is optional. I've included a link to information from the University of Arizona on iron deficiency. More publications on citrus including watering, fertilizing and more are available at http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/pubs/pubs.htm I hope this helps. Here is a link that might be useful: Iron Deficiency
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I also have a grapefruit tree that one of my children grew from seed when he was a small boy. He is now 16 years old! It is in a pot, and is a beautiful little tree. The guy at the nursery I frequent told me it will probably never bear fruit. It is not because it is in a pot, my orange and lemon trees in pots bear fruit. I thought maybe it had something to do with hybridization. It is also the favorite larval food of all my citrus trees for the Swallowtail butterflies, so I will keep it!
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Barb...how tall is your tree? Why do you think your citrus has Ganoderma? Check out www.wikipedia.com ...see if whatever is on your tree resembles those on wiki..They look like snails to me, but guess they're mushrooms.. You mentioned webbs..are leaves discoloring? Do you know what spider mite webbs look like? If your tree is of managable size, you can spray w/common around the house products such as dishsoap, citrus rind and garlic..Nothing toxic..I don't blame you for not spraying poisons on something you plan on eating..I wouldn't either. Sorry I can't be of more help, Barb, please check wikipedia. Compare.. The mites aren't too bad to rid..unless your tree is huge, over 20 tall, then spraying is difficult..Toni
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First, you need to tell us if your lemon tree is in a pot or in the ground. And if it is in a pot, what potting medium did you use? The leaf damage appears to be from snails. The Grapefruit looks like the potting soil is much too dense. I would re-pot with a much larger pot, carefully rinse off the roots to remove the dense, old potting soil, and re-pot using a well draining mix. You can search this forum for either "Gritty Mix" or "511 Mix" for good recipes for potting mediums for citrus. Patty S.
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houstontexas123
12 years ago
here's my thread, John listed some chemicals for scale

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/citrus/msg0319315320841.html?4
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nobueno1
Original Author
12 years ago
thanks all. scrubbed them all off w/ alcohol and going to apply some Concern and see how it works.
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mrtexas
12 years ago
No chemicals needed for scale. Dormant oil works best and is non-toxic.

Here is a link that might be useful: mrtexas
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nobueno1
Original Author
12 years ago
awesome mrtexas. i'll give that a try.
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keith424
12 years ago
Help! Just moved into a new house and I have at a 40 to 50 foot Grapefruit tree. No Grapefruit on the bottom but tons of them on the upper portion. I need to do some serious trimming to this tree. Will cutting it back to say... 20 feet. Will this kill or damage this tree. I like it as it hides the house behind me. Any help with this delema, please post it a forom or please e-mail me at kjplese@hotmail.com
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lgteacher
12 years ago
If you want to reduce the size of your tree, the recommendation by citrus experts (not me) is to take off no more than 1/3 at a time. If your tree is 40 feet tall, you can prune it back to about 25 feet this year, and take off more the next year. I plan to do the same with my orange tree in the fall. Good luck to you!

You don't need a machine like they have in the photo. You can do it by hand with pruners and loppers.

Here is a link that might be useful: pruning citrus
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